19-year-old held for sexual assault of minor girl

New Delhi

Three cases of minor girls being sexually assaulted were reported from across Delhi over the past two days, with arrests taking place in two of the instances, police said.

In the first case, a 19-year-old man was arrested for allegedly dragging a 14-year-old girl from a public washroom and sexually assaulting her in a vacant hut in Kusumpur Pahadi, southwest Delhi, on Sunday night.

Police said the girl raised the alarm, and hearing her voice, her family caught the accused and handed him to the police.

A senior police officer said, “The minor was dragged to a vacant hutment where the accused tried to rape her. She told us that she started screaming and alerted her neighbours and family members. Her father started looking for her and found she was in the hutment. The family broke open the door and rescued their daughter. They also held the accused and called the local police.”

Deputy commissioner of police (southwest) Rohit Meena said a medical examination of the minor was done and she was counselled. “After due procedure was followed, a case under sections of POCSO Act and sexual assault was registered. The accused was arrested on the same day,” he said.

On Sunday, another minor girl, aged around 15 years, was allegedly raped inside her own house in Sangam Vihar by a man working as a plumber at an adjacent worksite.

Police said the incident took place in the afternoon, when her parents were out for work. After the incident, she called her parents and informed them. The family lodged a complaint with the police and an FIR was registered.

“A case of rape (on minor) and POCSO Act was lodged on the complaint of the minor. During our probe, we found that the accused works as a plumber. He has been identified and the family said he works near their house. We have also identified the contractor who hired him. He is absconding and teams have been sent to nab him,” Ankit Chauhan, DCP (south), said.

Police said the minor is stable and is being counselled.

In a third incident on Sunday, another 15-year-old girl was sexually harassed and raped by her 48-year-old paternal uncle in Hauz Khas, police said, adding the girl’s parents approached them on Monday.

DCP Chauhan said, “Based on the girl’s statement and medical examination, her uncle was arrested.”